Happy Birthday to ME!

Hello world, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! Today I am going to take a break and do a long and wordy post on my happening May.

If you have been following me on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, you should have heard my good news: I AM ENGAGED! Yes, I am wanted!!! hahahaha~ I kind of expected it to happen during my trip to Europe lah, so I spent the effort to put on eyelash extension, make my new teeth and look skinner by going hot yoga.

The boyfriend’s fiance’s idea was to propose up on Eiffel Tower. Before the trip, he was trying to persuade me to go up the Eiffel Tower, I sensed something amiss. Even though it sounds super romantic to get proposed up on the Eiffel Tower, it is NOT. Because the weather in Paris is suppppperrrrr cold. It was 6 degrees that night and we didn’t bring the appropriate clothing (we thought it would be summer!). I can imagine both of us shivering at the top of the tower and the place will be toooo crowded lah!

So before our trip, I suggested to him to hire a photographer in Paris to do a couple photoshoot, hoping he will propose during the photoshoot. Good idea right, and the photographer can capture the most beautiful moment.

I sourced high and low for a photographer in Paris who can meet our budget and finally found one when we were in Holland! We had an hour of photoshoot around Eiffel Tower and the photographer suggested he proposed at Port Bir Hakim bridge, with the Eiffel Tower at the background.

Although I expected it to happen, but I was still taken aback. The boy didn’t have any romantic words (I thought I would cry) and this is our rough conversation:

Boy: I have something for you.
Me: WHAT?
Boy: I didn’t buy you a birthday present but I bought you this. *takes out the diamond ring*
Me: HAHAHAHAHHHHHHHHHH (It is a mixture of HAHA and surprised AHHHH)
Boy: *kneel down* dear dear, 嫁给我吧！
Me: Marry you can, but got conditions.
Boy: *continues kneeling* What? Faster say, we only got 1 hour photoshoot!

-____-!!

It happened too fast and I can’t remember what happened next. But I remembered stating my conditions and somehow the ring is on my finger. It wasn’t Tiffiny and Co, it wasn’t Jaan Paul, he got the ring from eClarity. I wasn’t bothered about the brand lah, as long as the love is real. 🙂 Now I can’t wait to get the photos from the photographer! Will share it once I get it!

**Ok update, I ask him what does the ring means, and he replied:”我给你的不是定心丸，是信心丸。对我有信心，我要给你的是幸福、快乐还有永恒。” 🙂

Wearing dentures for 17 freaking years is no joke. Especially when the two fake teeth look more yellow than the rest. Seriously, I don’t even dare to open my mouth and smile.

And when I finally saved enough to do implant last year, I went through 4 surgeries and countless numbers of checkups to get it done.

AND I AM GLAD IT IS OVER!

My dentist is nice and efficient to get it done for me before my Europe trip and birthday. To ensure both implant teeth’s colour look as similar as the real teeth, I travelled all the way to the dental lab in Ubi twice a week to get the colours right. When the two implant teeth is finally cemented on my gums, I can feel my tears welling up in my eyes.

I stood in front of the mirror after the procedure, smiling at myself, no words can totally describe how I feel. I am not very confident of smiling for many years. And now that it is done, tears of joy streamed down my cheeks, I can finally say bye bye to dentures. I am beautiful. 🙂

Some of you may know, I work as a Chinese lifestyle journalist in My Paper, a bilingual newspaper under Singapore Press Holdings. It has been an amazing 4 years in the company, and I have met with the best colleagues and best bosses I can ever get. I have the chance to learn 100001 things which no one else can. I get to see the world more than any of my friends. And I get to meet so many PRs who eventually become friends.

I really have to thank my bosses and the management for giving me so much chances and recognition for the past few years. After being the empress for some time, I have decided to move on. It was definitely the hardest decision to make, and I am sure I am going to miss my glamorous days as a journalist. But considering I am still young with no family commitments, I would really like to go out, learn new things and see the world. It may not be the most ideal decision. My family and loved ones are against the idea but I have decided.

I started this blog in 2007 but only started the journalist job in 2009. I have heard the nastiest thing a stranger can ever say about me, and that is to use my position as a journalist to get free food. Sadly, it is always the people who know the least about you have the most to say. I don’t blame anyone for saying this because the food blog is an obvious conflict of interest with my day job. And it is definitely hard to draw a clear line.

In fact, in my day job, I write mostly about beauty, fashion and shopping articles (hence I do not have a beauty or lifestyle blog), and only contribute food articles when help is needed. Yes, I do have my own DIY cooking column in the newspaper but I do not use the content for the blog. For many restaurant owners who are reading this, this is probably the first time (and the last time) you know I was a journalist.

I spent many late nights working hard for the blog, it is definitely unfair to say that the job helps to build the blog. In fact, I feel it is the other way round! Well of course, no matter how much I try to explain, there will always have people who try to criticise. Now that I have quit the job, all you horrible beings probably have to find another reason to pick bones.

So what’s next? Well, there are always more things I want to do for the blog but always have no time to do it. I am glad now I can finally sit down, breathe some fresh air and work some new content for the blog. And being a journalist (in the past) have definitely help to create more interesting content for the blog. All I have to do now is to pen down my thoughts and start working hard on it.

It is definitely the hardest decision I have made, but I am glad I that I took the first step. Thank you everyone for being supportive no matter where I am. Thank you for the love from all my friends. I have left the job but the blog will continue. For the better, I hope! 🙂

Getting engaged doesn’t go very well with spending money on implants and being jobless. HAHA! But I guess these 3 major events made my 27th birthday a very memorable and blessed one.

Now I will need to spend more effort trying to save more money for my future. But I also need to stay in shape for wedding photoshoot (though it won’t be so soon lah!). And probably keep my hair longer. I know all these sound very vain but all girls want to be beautiful bride right? And also, I must start reading up on interior design for our new house which will be ready in 3 years’ time. ALL SPONSORSHIPS ARE WELCOME! HAHAHA!

Ok lah serious one. My birthday wish every year never change. I hope my Ah Gong, Papa, Mama, 2 Aunt, 3 Aunt, Uncle, Tony Uncle, Jiu Mu, Ah Yu and dear dear stay healthy and happy. I hope all my friends found their true love and have a successful career. I hope everyone be happy. Because you happy, I happy!!

Maureen

Born into a family of enthusiastic foodies, Maureen has always loved all things culinary, especially the local cuisine here in Singapore. With a life-long fascination with the rapidly evolving food scene in Singapore, she started this website in 2007 to explore and celebrate all types of local Singapore dishes and to share her love of travel and food with the world. With 4 years of experience as a journalist and producer, she has a wealth of experience in food writing, photography and styling.

Happy Birthday, Misstamchiak!! I hope your day is filled with blessed happiness, and that your birthday wish(es) are granted!! Can’t wait to follow your wedding preparations and interior design for your new place!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Btw, I love how the proposal went =P

Hi Maureen, I am so inspired after reading this..thanks for sharing n I wish you all the best be it yr career n anythg tat u set yr hands to do. Enjoy the fullness as life is a gift. Am sure more blessing wil come along the way.. Stay pretty too n Happy Birthday!! ^.^

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! I think I had said it four times today!! Haha…. SO HAPPY FOR YOU!! Your wish come true, finally engage!! And in a romantic place man!! Forget about the words he said, you won’t remember 10 years down the road, lol. Lastly, don’t bother about people who bitch about you, they are just being sour about your success. ;D Looking forward to more of your post!